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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 2082.PDF
FLIGHT SEA FR ROC MR. GEOFFREY TYSON, in flying thetotype of the Short Sturgeon I for 1 ^photographs on these pages, has done/mor provide attractive pictures; he has placed thVoffi to show features which bespeak its purpose. Readers will already be aware that the Sturgeon is the first twin-engine aircraft to be designed specifically for operation from aircraft carriers ; the characteristic close spacing of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 140 engines and the use of contra-rotating Rotol airscrews are the'out- come of a Naval requirement that the folded width should not exceed 20ft. The "contra-props", more- over, eliminate swing on take-off—an embarrassing fault which became manifest as the power of deck-land- ing aircraft increased during the war years. Careful design, as explained in the structural descrip- tion on pp. 422 et seq., has permitted an aircraft to be built which combines the tractability in handling, sturdiness, good view, adaptability and performance demanded by Specification S.li/43. Basically, the Sturgeon is a deck-landing aircraft designed -for photographic or visual reconnaissance. With a full complement of three cameras a crew of two is carried, but in the "visual recce." case three men- pilot, observer and W/T operator—are required. Pro- vision is' made for an oblique camera but this is not mounted when the vertical cameras are installed. Bombs or Depth Charges As a bomber the Sturgeon has internal stowage for one bomb of 1,000 lb or two 500 lb bombs. An equiva- lent load of depth charges is a further possibility, but the Short design staff count themselves fortunate that My Lords of the Admiralty did not see fit to specify torpedo-carrying as an operational role. Radio and radar to the latest specification can be fitted, including a neat A.S.V. installation in the nose of the fuselage. The armament is two fixed 0.5m Brown- ing guns, likewise in the fuselage nose. In addition to the power-folding gear, deck-arrester, and accelerator equipment, there is provision for rocket- assisted take-off, utilizing two containers, each with four rocket units, beneath the wing roots. There seems to be no doubt that Short Bros, have done a thoroughly good job in meeting a stringent First Air Ato - the Prototype landing Recoi Target'towin\ The surprisingly high perforance of the Sturgeon i; estimated maximum speed430 m.p.h. at 19,000ft) is < largely to clean aerodynaidesign. This is evident in side view on the left _pecification and it is through no fault of theirs that the/ Sturgeon will not be placed in service with Naval Aviation as an operational type. The reason for order- ing that all production Sturgeons shall be produced as target-towers is doubtless that a faster aircraft is now required for the all-important task of Naval reconnais- sance. This need, of course, has become more acute since the development of jet-propelled, deck-landing fighters. Nevertheless, there is some consolation in the fact that this cleverly designed machine, under the official desig- nation Sturgeon T.T. Mk. II, has been adopted as a deck-landing target-towing and target aircraft, which
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